Time Trial prop bets are a way to the future

Over the past two-and-a-half years, our Harnesslink Mane Attraction columns have suggested a rainbow of viable colorful ideas—actually much more than a rainbow—to propel our harness racing sport into an upward spiral, instead of a recession.

From the “Fill It or Kill It” proposal to “Saddle Pads” to “Equine Social Security” to “Commissioner” to “School Curriculum” to the new practice of objecting to “Depleting our History,” these viable ideas hardly get out of the ”batter’s box.”

Of course, none have come to fruition (we didn’t expect they would) because the tens-of-thousands of “outsiders” have no voice to the few insiders that consider anything to propel our sport into further longevity.

What’s that they say?

“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink!”

To that, the answer is…If you hold its head under water long enough, it will either drink or learn to breathe through its eyes!

The Mane Attraction readers are the voice to which we listen, many of whom are lifelong members of the BDHC (the Broken Down Horseplayers Club).

As “time goes by,” harness racing becomes more-and-more an “insiders” sport, evidenced by the loss of patronage, handle and interest.

In a Mane Attraction column previous, the suggestion was put forth for the revival of “time-trials” to, at the very least, have some form of action between those agonizing “lengths of time” between races.

Thinking Out Loud, (p, 1:47.2, $1,982,805), we summoned some BDHC members to get the “punter’s” opinion of “TT’s.”

Some weren’t interested…but more were!

The arguments against time-trials included the new features of listing the “fastest times by track size” and “best beaten time” on half mile ovals, five eighths mile tracks and larger tracks—seven-eighths and a mile—two turn tracks.

One longtime fan said, “Ya know, that means nothing to me…and means nothing to us when a horse is in the sales ring. It’s a piece of useless information.”

Another said, “I like it…just for information sake, but, in today’s marketplace, it really doesn’t mean much. It’s today’s version of the 2:10 2-year-old list…long gone today.”

As a counter to that, if a horse is race-timed in 1:50 merely drafting along and finishing 13 lengths away in a 1:47.2 mile, what good is that?

If that same horse shows he or she can put together four quarters of :27 1/2 and break the beam in 1:50—that proves something!

With the “Prop” bet syndrome exploding in popularity, “Time-Trials” could be incorporated on any size track—Yes, there have been world record time trials on half mile tracks – and the betting public could take action on (1) whether a time-trail is successful (or not) with (2) further action on the exact time of the time-trial, itself.

Back in 1974, yes, some of us go back that far, of all the speed records on the books, about half of them were in time-trials.

Nevele Pride…Steady Star…world records in a time trial…

There were even a few on a half mile tracks…Greyhound at Goshen, New York’s Historic Track in 1937, Adios Butler over the Little Brown Jug track in 1963. Then Mack Lobell tied the world record in a 1:56 time trial at Freehold Raceway in 1988.

Greyhound and Roselind both set world records in 1938 over the Red Mile and those were still holding us in 1974!!

Fresh Yankee and Flirth both set their world records in time-trial events…as well as the kind of non-descriptive Record Mat at age two.

A time trial put three-year-old Dean Hanover on the map with 11-year-old Miss Alma Sheppard driving in the category for lady drivers.

The six-year-old pacer Highland Scott placed Mrs. E. Roland Harriman on the books with a 1:59 1/4 performance in Goshen, N.Y.

Harness racing has a plethora of bragging rights over its history of more than two centuries…and we should start employing it to revive our sport.

BDHC member “Smitty” says, “I’m all for it…action between races…are you kidding? Any two turn track could have them. Imagine, picking up the phone seeing ‘Do Wack Adoo’ (with a mark of 2:03 but photoed out in 1:58), trying to beat 1:58. It’s great! I’m all in!”

Yet another BDHC captain gave a reinforcement statement saying, “Hey, I’d bet on a couple of cock-a-roaches crossing the street. This would be great.

“Hey, if I can bet on the next pitch in baseball being a ball or a strike, a bet on a time trial and an over-under time would be really neat.”

Harness racing has an enormous amount of “prop” bets just waiting to be offered and could be the ticket—pari-mutuel or otherwise—to generate a renewed interest incur sport.

In the NFL, there are prop bets on teams, players and, literally dozens of items from “any time touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards, rushing attempts, rushing yards, fantasy points.passing completions, interceptions, passing yards, passing touchdowns passing attempts,..you get the idea.

On, literally, hundreds of players.

Major league baseball…same kind of prop bets…on several hundred players…

A pitcher going “x” number of innings—over-under 6.5. A leadoff batter making plate appearances—over-under 4.5…a thousand more…

Will two players on the same team get three hits in a gamete!!!

The NBA…everything from points to rebounds to three pointers to assists to over-under scored for a team or a game…hundreds of matchups…

Throw in the UFC, NHL, PGA, Soccer, Tennis, next year’s NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl…

How many prop bets could be available in our sport? OMG…Can’t count that high!

From Aaron Merriman wins, say, over-under 5.5 for the day and 2.5 at The Meadows…

Will he get to 900 wins for the year? Yes/No…

Thus, it can be done for Bartlett, Beckwith, Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., Matt K…Dan Noble, Georgie Nap, Tim T., Palone, .

The up-and-coming stars come into play…Marvin Luna, Jonathan Ahle, Matt Ahearn

Taking a note from baseball…who will have the highest “batting average” (UDRS) for the year in North America with 500 or more drives? Wally…Guy Gagnon (Who, you ask?) Maybe a 500 to 1 shot—just what this sport needs!!

Greg Merton? Casey Leonard? Campbell…James or Marc?

Some of these prop bets would fetch odds of +1,000…or more!

Thousands of drivers we have…all on the prop roster!!

Future bets on the Hambletonian…far in the future…with worthwhile odds to whet anyone’s appetite. Heck the 2027 Hambletonian winner just might be +5,000.

To those that shell out 100K up to a million, wouldn’t they plunk a few hundred down and maybe get their entire investment back in a prop bet?

To those that think the betting would be minimal, let us remind you of this…What matters to our sport is getting renewed attention and it takes a bit ingenuity to be successful at that.

We’re already late to the starting gate.

We’re in the greatest speed expansion this sport has ever seen.

And to those horsemen that are against this…why not chip in and help save our sport for the next generation!

Too bad we don’t see the speed urgency in saving our sport!

May The Horse Be With You!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink